Fourteen AvSafety seminars for pilots are scheduled to be held in four states and one territory during June 2014. Seminars are being conducted at locations in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. There are three themes for the AvSafety seminars – an update on regulatory reform, the latest safety trends identified by CASA, Airservices and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and information about new interactive online education programs and resources. Seminars focussing on regulatory reform will provide a high level overview of the new flight crew licensing suite of regulations and coming operational regulations. All seminars will provide a chance for pilots to discuss what the new regulations mean for their flying and to provide comments and feedback. There will also be plenty of opportunities for people to ask questions and raise other issues. All seminars are free but bookings are needed through CASA’s website using AviationWorx.

Impending rule changes for pilots has prompted the nation’s aviation authority to go on an education tour through the NSW central west.

Flying seems to be one of those things that you either love or hate.

For the haters, you’re likely to be riddled with stress about soaring up into the clouds, and probably won’t enter into a career as a pilot.

For the lovers, there’s something almost-therapeutic about the rattle and rumble of a plane tracking along a runway and the lurch as you lift-off the ground.

Some love it so much they enter into a career in aviation, perhaps as a steward, or even a pilot.

The NSW central west is littered with small airports and aerodromes that are used to varying degrees- from commercial carriers offering flights to the city, to farmers soaring over their paddocks.

“Pilots in the central west have got pretty good flying conditions. Particularly at the smaller aerodromes, they’ve got plenty of room to do their flying,” says spokesman for the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), Peter Gibson.

“They’ve always got questions about procedures; how to follow the rules successfully; how to get the best training and keep up to date.”

A suite of new rules for pilots is coming into force in September, focussing on licensing.

CASA is holding training workshops in Parkes and Cowra this week for pilots looking to get up to scratch with the rules.

“It’s a good time to sit down with local pilots and talk to them about what the rule changes might mean for their flying, and importantly, answer their questions and get any feedback,” says Peter.

“It’s important all current pilots in regional areas understand these changes.”

Over recent months, a light plane crashed at Narrabri; while a pilot was killed when his ultra-light aircraft crashed near Ivanhoe in May.

“We’re always looking at the aviation safety system and aviation safety trends, and looking for ways to make improvements,” says Peter.

“One of the ways you can make improvements is to bring in new safety rules; [and] we’ll certainly be doing things to improve safety, but it’s an ongoing process.”

Peter says flying into regional airports and aerodromes can be particularly dangerous for pilots.

“There aren’t air traffic control towers at all the regional aerodromes, so pilots have got to manage that themselves.

“They’ve got to talk to other aircraft and be very aware of when scheduled airline services are coming in, and work with them to make sure there are no conflicts.”

CASA offers a range of other training modules for local pilots to complete to improve their knowledge.

“We’ve got a number of online tools where pilots can go in, do exercises, and get information that will help improve the safety of their flying,” says Peter.

“That’s a great thing to be doing all the time, so that you’re continuously updating and improving your safety knowledge.”

For more details on the workshops being held in Parkes and Cowra, visit the CASA website.